It is well known that in certain technologies, especially those which require thermal power stations, important quantities of heat are transferred to the surroundings. In order to convey this heat quantity into the ambient air, cooling equipment based on various principles have been developed.
Because such cooling apparatus requires large dimensions they are always located in open air. Thus they are exposed to various atmospheric conditions, of which wind is the most significant. In such cooling apparatus the streaming through of air which serves to cool such air is effected in a forced manner (by ventilators), or by a chimney working in combination with a natural draft, utilizing the lower specific weight of the heated air. In both types of equipment, the quantity of air streaming through the cooling apparatus is lowered by the action of the wind, thus reducing the cooling effect thereof.
Reduction in the quantity of air is due to the air flowing around the cooling equipment, producing unfavorable streaming conditions as compared with wind still conditions. One effect of such wind is the non-uniform air distribution at the entrance and a second is the additional resistance (turbulence and distortion of streaming) inside cooling apparatus in the path of the draft. Unevenness of air distribution cause the heat exchanger to receive air which has been warmed up already in another part of the apparatus, which also lessens the cooling effect.
Certain methods have been used to reduce the harmful effect of the wind. One such method uses various partition and guide walls built into the cooling apparatus, which partitions and guide walls are designed to make the air entrance uniform. Such attempts however when practically tested have had limited results because such solutions do not ameliorate the unfavorable streaming conditions which arise from the wind flowing around the cooling equipment.